GoodbyeFor Now
by fishingislove
Summary: Sam learns from Jack of her new command on Atlantis


**Goodbye…For Now**

Sam stood in the middle of the living room of Jack's spacious DC apartment, staring at him.

"You're sending me to Atlantis?" she asked, incredulous.

Jack made a "ta-da" gesture with his entire body, a big grin on his face.

She shook her head in disbelief. "I…don't even know what to say." she said as she turned and walked to window, gazing out at the sunlit city.

Jack was slightly confused, which was not an unusual place for him to be when it came to Sam, although he did feel pretty good about himself. The Atlantis command was something to be envied, and he could think of no better officer than Carter to take it up. He walked over to her and put his arm around her waist, gazing at the side of her face, which was decidedly beautiful to him, but unreadable.

At last she bluntly stated, "You're sending me away." She did not look at his face, not wanting to see it, to read it.

Jack was still confused. "Well…yes…but…not forever. Sam, you're the perfect choice for this command. I trust you with this." he said as his hand caressed her back.

Sam moved away without looking at him and began slowly pacing the room. "You _want _me to leave then."

"No I don't _want _you to leave, but there's no one else that I can think of who's more capable and qualified for this job." Jack was becoming a bit frustrated with her reaction to something that anyone else would have jumped at.

"Jack…this isn't…this…this separates us…again!" she stammered finally. "After all those years 'apart'" she went on, making quotation signs with her fingers, "you want to send me to another _galaxy_? Jack, when would we even see each other let alone _be_ together? Unless…this is what you want." she finished quietly, stopping mid pace and feeling uncertain, yet again.

Finally, Jack understood. He had been so excited for her, thought that the assignment would thrill her, he hadn't even thought about that 'other' thing. Geez I'm denser than I've ever been, he thought.

"No, Sam, I don't want to be separated from you." he approached her, sinking his hands into her long blonde hair. He liked that she had grown it out. "I don't. I thought you would be happy about this. If you don't want to take the commission, I get it." He pulled her head closer and caught her lips with his, kissing her softly.

She almost fell into the kiss completely before she pulled away saying "Don't."

"Don't what?" Now Jack was really confused.

"That." she waved her hands at him. "Don't try to distract me. Look, Jack, I realize the Atlantis command is a big deal…I just…we're just now getting to spend some time together. What happens to us if I go? A galaxy apart?" Sam was letting her personal feelings for him get in the way of her professional life. She cringed inwardly, but damn it, she had to do it at some point didn't she? She felt her eyes sting with as yet unshed tears as she watched his face.

"Sam…c'mere." Jack pulled her back into his arms and she buried her face in his neck, the tears now falling, wetting his shirt. He held her tight, one hand lost in her hair at the back of her neck. "Nothing is going to happen to us. We've come this far, mostly apart, and we're still together. Yeah, that _does _make sense. Besides, who else would have either one of us?"

Sam chuckled into his neck at the last comment. She looked into his eyes, and knew what he said was the truth. He did love her, but they were in the end, Air Force officers who knew more about the Stargate Program than anyone and were needed out there.

"Ok." she said, knowing it was the right thing, the professional thing. She would get excited about it all later after some thought.

"Ok?" he said.

"Yeah." she said against his lips, just before she closed the distance.

The kiss became deeper, intense, as their mouths opened, tongues finding each other. Sam pulled Jack toward the couch, bringing him down on top of her. He fumbled with the buttons of the light pink shirt she was wearing, but managed to open it up and made light work of the clasp of her bra. His hands roamed over the flesh of her breasts, dancing over the tips, making them tight. He opened the button, unzipped her jeans and pulled them off of her along with her panties, tossing them over the coffee table. He knelt there between her knees for a minute, admiring her, thinking not for the first time, what a lucky man he was.

"Jack, I don't have all day." she giggled as she reached up to undo his pants.

"Right!" He pulled his t-shirt over his head and got rid of his pants and shorts. He leaned over her, running his hand up the inside of her thigh until he reached the apex and stroked gently, leaning further and kissing her mouth as he did. He loved the way she responded to his touch; he loved her. It crossed his mind that maybe she was right, she shouldn't go, they should try to make a life together and actually _be _together.

All thoughts except loving her left his mind as he entered her body. He made sure she understood what she meant to him as he caressed her, kissed her, brought her over the edge of ecstasy with him.

Early in the morning of Sam's departure for Atlantis, they stood in the middle of Sam's living room hugging each other tightly. Jack whispered in her ear, "I love you Sam. You're gonna be great out there."

"I miss you already." she whispered back, at which point Jack hugs her even tighter.

Then he pulled back and said, "Sooo, Teal'c will be at the SGC to see you off from there. I thought we should say our goodbyes here. Unless you want me to come with you."

"No. You're right. We don't need an audience there. They might suspect something's going on between us." she said with a twinkle in her big blue eyes. They both laughed, breaking the sombre mood. Just then the buzzer sounded, and Sam went to the door to let the Airman, who had come for her and her gear, into the building.

She went back to Jack and they stood in each other's arms again, foreheads pressed against each other. "I love you." Sam whispered, pulling back to gaze into Jack's chocolate eyes.

"I love you too. Don't forget that when McKay tries to woo you with his mumbo jumbo." Jack replied, grinning the boyish grin that never failed to melt Sam's heart.

She rolled her eyes and smiled the brilliant smile Jack would always keep at the front of his mind. "Oh please. You just had to go there didn't you?"

Sam answered the knock at the door and Jack moved out of sight of the Airman. He heard Sam thank him and tell him she'd be down right away, then shut the door. He went to her and held her head in his hands, kissing her softly on the mouth. "Godspeed, Colonel." he whispered.

Sam's eyes were wet but she held herself in control. "Thank you."

"I'll lock up." Jack said.

Sam smiled as she caressed his cheek once more, then turned and walked out the door.


End file.
